


A Definition of Heroism

by TheAnswerIsAlways42



Category: Original Work
Genre: Definition Essay, Did this for school, I am so sorry for posting this, I just thought that 'hey! this might be interesting to explore with an actual character!', The springboard quotes were forced and it hurt me to use them, This is still Trash, This is trash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 17:54:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13253535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAnswerIsAlways42/pseuds/TheAnswerIsAlways42
Summary: Just my own thoughts about what heroism is and what makes a hero. Notice that it's 'A' instead of 'The' because it's an abstract concept with many ways of interpretation, this is just mine. Might be interesting to use for an actual character or story or something.Please, enjoy.(Written for school, so SB is Springboard, don't worry about it.)





	A Definition of Heroism

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost” (Arthur Ashe). When someone is faced with difficult times and choices that may test their moral compass, they can choose the selfish way out that benefits mainly themselves or the hard fought one that helps others, and that many would consider heroic for choosing. But they don’t back down; they keep at it and do the best that they can possibly do. Because the right choice is often times the hardest to execute, heroism is a concept that influences and encourages people to try their best to make that choice, even if it ends in failure.

In a way, heroism is this shining beacon sitting on top of a high hill; it is this breathtaking sight that people look up to and strive to reach, beckoning and guiding them to come forward. In this manner, heroism acts as this ultimate goal for a society to reach—both an ideal and role model. Thus, heroes are those who attempt to exhibit heroism, who are able to understand that certain situations are problematic, scary even, but face the problem along with their fears to overcome it and to do the ethically and/or morally right thing. In the book, _All the Light We Cannot See_ by Anthony Doerr, there is a constant struggle with the sense of duty and what is truly right. One of the main characters, Marie-Laure, asked her great-uncle, “But we are the good guys. Aren’t we”, as she didn’t know if the side she was on was the right one (Doerr 360). In the end, her great-uncle’s answer was a simple, “I hope so. I hope we are”, because their only choice was to try their best and hope that they were doing the right thing (Doerr 360). Of course, there was no— and will never be—a concrete answer, but the characters try; they think about their issues and may even shake with fear, but they try to do the best they can. And that is the purpose of heroism and of heroes, to inspire people to be heroes themselves.

For instance, Throughout America’s history, there have been many people whom one would consider heroic. Specifically, two people that fit this were Abraham Lincoln, the American president who abolished slavery, and Frederick Douglass, the former slave who advised Lincoln during the Civil War. Important to realize is how hard Lincoln worked to win the war to free the slaves in the South, working towards a goal that had no benefits for himself, but for others. This is all shown in his funeral sermon, where a few lines spoken by Dr. Phineas D. Gurley states, “The cause he so [ardently](https://hawaiihi.springboardonline.org/ebook/book/A2839C5291C045278324B8F9D1CF057A/B73121E2EE84403E8E883B2B959CB33B) loved…not for himself only, not for us only, but for all people in all their coming generations” (Gurley SB 77). These words show that the results of Lincoln’s actions assisted others and his nation, not himself. That the selflessness, the dedication, and the legacy he left that inspired the following generations are what makes Lincoln a hero. In comparison, Douglass isn’t as widely known as Lincoln, but that does not make him any less of a hero. He was an escaped slave that became an advisor to Lincoln during the Civil War. Because he used to be a slave himself, Douglass fought for their liberty and freedom. For this, even though Douglass isn’t as widely known as Lincoln, many still respect him, and a few lines in Robert Hayden’s poem, “Frederick Douglass,” explain, “[He will be remembered] with the lives grown out of his life, the lives / fleshing his dream of the beautiful, needful thing” (Hayden SB 81). The poem conveys how Douglass was a hero because of how he endeavored to see what he was fighting for becoming a reality. It shows that his actions galvanized those that knew of them into working to do the same. For these reasons, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass are paradigms of heroism.

Additionally, while there are many traits that a hero portrays, it is faster to eliminate certain negative traits and let the mind fill in the gaps. One example of this is that a hero is not someone who acts only selfish reasons; even if there were someone who acted with some semblance of selfishness, they would still be a hero if they tried to prioritize others over themselves. In “A Definition of a Gentleman,” John Henry Newman writes about similar characteristics, “[A gentleman] is never mean or little in his disputes, never takes unfair advantage, never mistakes personalities or sharp sayings for arguments, or insinuates evil which he dare not say” (Newman SB 90). Newman’s gentleman is similar to a hero because both his gentleman and a hero aren’t sharp or short tempered, don’t use those less fortunate as stepping stones, nor do they imply wrongdoing of anyone. Although heroes aren’t necessarily always these things, they can still do and be many things; however, heroes aren’t flawless. Thus, there are things that could theoretically tempt a hero, but what defines a hero is the ability to resist giving into that temptation and to do the right thing when it comes down to it.

Ultimately, heroes aren’t perfect, but heroism is. Those who are heroes strive for that perfection; they won’t reach it, but they can and will try their hardest. Heroism is a goal; it’s intangible and there are many heroes that try to be heroic and serve others instead of surpassing them, but don’t know what is truly wrong or right. And yet, they try their hardest to do what is best—not for themselves—but for those around them. That is what defines heroism and the heroes that embody it. In the end, heroism gives an incentive for those within a society to make the attempt to help the many instead of just the individual; therefore making it essential for any society to function as a whole, fueling the past, present, and future.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is not something I planned on ever releasing to the internet, but here it is. I think that I'm doing it to motivate myself to write, to inspire me to shape a character with this as its base. For that character to break away and become something utterly unique. Maybe.
> 
> Feel free to critique anything that bothers you, even if it's just a single spelling mistake or grammar error. I encourage you to comment any thoughts that you had while reading, to leave a review that deeply analyses my work or a simple 'neat'.
> 
> Thank you for giving this your time! (It felt really weird to put that exclamation mark there, everything else feels so cold, sorry for that.)


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